scubacruiserx2

We only had time for a quick walk around on the flight deck . I have the names of some of the planes . Maybe someone who knows aircraft can help us with the others . A-1 Skyraider F9F Panther S3 Viking SH 2 Seasprite F/A 18 Hornet

We didn't have much time left at San Diego and we did want to visit the USS Midway . It was completed 10 after the Japanese surrender and used in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm . It became a museum in the 11th of April , 2011 . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Midway_(CV-41) In the ship's store they have a lot for sale ( but the pin case was closed ) . Men could take some target practice . And because of 4 sore knees we took the elevator down

After lunch we went to the Panama Plaza to call our cab . The driver who brought us in the morning said that he and all the cabs were busy and that none were available . There was a Ukrainian protest going on there . There was a steady parade there Pat asked a couple of young ladies to help us with a uber and I tried to flag down a cab but only saw 2 both busy . After about 45 minutes we finally caught a cab as he emptied and we were off to the port

We were quite hungry but didn't see much street food but wandered into the Mingei International Museum . They had a place to eat here and it wasn't overcrowded We ordered the Albacore Ceviche , Potato and Pea Samosa and Lamb Kibbeh . It was very fresh and refreshing and a welcome change from the ship .

Our next stop was at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages Our concierge Alina is from the Ukraine and her parents still live in Russia . She told us that she can speak with them on the phone but has to be mindful when talking . We do support HAL 's on Deck for Cause ( for Ukraine ) and we wanted to get her a couple of small gifts from the Ukraine at the cottage . We also visited our ancestors cottages of Ireland and Poland . In the Irish cottage we bought a small snack of scones and soda bread .

Our last visit was something old and something new The Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh flew non stop from New York to Paris in 1927 https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/nyp-3-spirit-of-st.-louis-flying-replica Bell X-1 Broke the speed of sound in level flight https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/bell-x-1-mock-up A-4 B Skyhawk - A carrier based bomber that can carry nuclear weapons https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/douglas-a-4b-skyhawk F/A - 18 A Hornet Blue Angel https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/f-a-18-a-hornet-blue-angel-1

The ME 262 the first jet plane of the war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262 Horten 229 V3 - The first flying wing powered by jet engines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229 The ME 109 https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/messerschmitt-bf-109g-14-mock-up The B 24 Liberator My wife's uncle died in one of these over Europe and is buried in Arlington https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/b-24d-liberator-the-eager-beaver-1-4-scale The P 51 D Mustang https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/north-american-p-51d-mustang

Also in the Pavillion were F-4 J/S Phantom II https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/mcdonnell-douglas-f-4j-s-phantom-ii MIG 17 https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/mikoyan-gurevich-mig-17 And the Bell AH - 1E Helicopter https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/bell-ah-1e-cobra-helicopter

This is a model of the boat plane that my father was a radioman in during the war . Notice the pontoons on the ends of the wings that are not shown on the plane . https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/consolidated-pby-5a-catalina This plane is in the largest hall in the museum - The Pavillion of Flight

More planes from WW II This is a copy of the US's leading Ace Eddie Rickbacker 's Spad XIII . He later became the General Manager of Eastern Air Lines and the causeway from Miami to Key Biscayne . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Rickenbacker

Fokker E 111 Eindecker Fokker DR1 Like the Red Baron flew Against Snoopy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen

Men are from Mars And rovers The Eagle guitar has landed The eye in the sky 👁️

The Day's revised plan was a trip to Balboa Park to visit the San Diego Air and Space Museum and lunch . I had dreamed of being a Pilot and an Astronaut when I was a kid . My father flew as a radioman in a PBY during WWII and I looked up to him when I was a kid . Like him I joined the Navy but I was a Corpsman instead and had hoped to take a cruise or two on a ship but ended up on the Marine Base in Camp Lejeune ( where I did drink the water ) . The Auto Museum but was closed to a private group If you asked people what kind of plane this is and they would probably say the SR 21 Blackbird https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_A-12 But is in fact a Lockheed A 12 Oxcart - the precursor . In the shadow of the Oxcart

San Diego Saturday October 8 , 2022 0700 . We came in under the cover of darkness and watched the Noordam behind us . Our guide had to cancel but I'm fairly comfortable here as I spent 6 months stationed here in the Vietnam Era . Full English Breakfast The queue for a cab Not our cab

Getting ready to leave the island And room service . The new French Onion soup is a round piece of toast with cheese on it that you drop on the soup

We walked down to the store for some personal items This house was a house boat moved to the land A selfie booth

Aaron was great and dropped us back at the Lobster Trap for lunch Mermaids and Mermen ( But not Ethel ) The creamiest and best clam chowder that we have ever had Macadamia nut breaded Mahi Mahi Sea Bass tacos

Aaron showing us wild pepper The Pet Cemetery I requested a pit stop and we went to the golf course . The Chicago Wrigley people own most of the island including the golf course and the men's room was the Cub's Spring locker room until 1951 so I felt right at home having played sports most of my life . The views from near the Mansion . The Casino was closed and he said that we could walk back later but we were interested in lunch .This was the oldest ( or one of the oldest ) Hotels on the island . We remember this fountain from the movie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Catalina_Island_(California) More island photos Divers down Butterfly on a Bougainvillea In light of this excerpt form above concerning water on island this photo concerned us . Aaron told us that all of the homes use salt water to flush their toilets . Utilities[edit] For decades the water was supplied primarily by a reservoir.[86] Forty percent of drinking water on the island is provided by a desalination plant that opened in Avalon in 2016.[87] Avalon's sewer system was identified by researchers as the cause of ocean pollution in 2011. Many of the city's century-old clay and metal pipes had deteriorated to the point where they had vanished, allowing human sewage to enter the into the bay.[88] From 2000 to 2013, 11 out of 13 annual reports released by the Natural Resources Defense Council listed Avalon as one of the 10 most chronically polluted beaches in the nation for failing state health tests as much as 73% of the time.[89] In February 2012, a cease and desist order was issued against the City for illegally discharging polluted water into the bay. The city invested $5.7 million on sewer main improvements and inspection and tracking systems. The 2014 report showed that water quality had improved, and Avalon Beach was removed from the list of the most polluted beaches.[90][91]

As soon as Aaron showed up we were off in a clockwise circle the island tour Aaron tried to stay ahead of the busses but sometimes they passed us I expected to see some babes in Orange bathing suits jogging in slow motion but this was as close as we got Our ride at the overlook

We were early so we crossed the street for some shade at the Bison Expedition and a hand washing break This is where we met Aaron and had lunch later

We forgot to mention how much we enjoyed our guide Eric in San Francisco . We hope to be using him again in the early part of next year .

Most of what we knew about Santa Catalina came from the 1966 Doris Day movie The Glass Bottom Boat . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Bottom_Boat We decided to book a guide to drive our golf cart around the the island and he said to meet at 10:45 so we had plenty of time for breakfast . Since it was a tender port we got a nice view as they lowered the boats . We noticed for the first time that they were now cutting the meat in half on the eggs Benedict and began giving less sauce And even though we went later they still packed us in pretty full We noticed some restrooms on the pier and made the stop before setting out We had heard that this was the breakfast hot spot But this one looked more inviting

Dinner was at the Tamarind